Budget Saving Mom’s $10 New Year’s Challenge

I had mentioned an upcoming Budget Saving Mom challenge on December 24th. I am so excited about this challenge!!! I really hope that you will join in. I have modified it a little to include a challenge from, Money Saving Mom. I decided, it would be fun to combine the 2 challenges into one.

My original challenge was to buy $10 worth of items to donate to others in January and February, for a total of $20. Money Saving Mom’s challenge is to Eat Out Of Your Pantry and not shop for a month except for dairy and fresh produce.

Here is her challenge:

1) Stop at the store a maximum of three times in January.

2) Only buy dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, etc.) and produce (fruits/vegetables).

3) Spend a total of $75 or less on groceries during the month of January.

4) Donate the extra $85 leftover (or more) that we would usually spend on groceries to Gleaning the Harvest. (My side note: This is a really cool ministry.)

How I am Combining these 2 Challenges Into One:

What I want to do rather than not go to the stores, is to still go to the stores, stay within my budget, but donate more items to others. If I already have plenty of an item, I want to donate it to others.  I often donate items that I know my family won’t use. However, it is harder for me to donate an item that my family will use. That is why I think that this will be a good challenge for me personally.  I often will give cash, but I would like to give items as well. Plus, I feel that I am able to buy so many items at a fraction of the price, that it would multiply what I am able to give.  Also, I know of a couple of specific families that I have felt the Lord leading me to assist. I am aware of their personal needs, hence I feel like I can hopefully buy items that would be useful to them.

I feel like I am so blessed in my life right now. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, know that at one point I literally had nothing. A couple of changes of clothes, almost no money, etc. I learned how to live very frugally, and was really happy. I learned so much during this period of my life. I became a child of God, learned to trust God completely for all of my needs, and learned how to be happy regardless of my circumstances.  God provided me with everything that I needed, and He even provided some of my wants.  I will have to write up about how he miraculously cared for me and my family sometime, but if any of you are in a bad situation, do know that you can trust in God to see you through it. Bad times are what make us stronger and can teach us so many valuable lessons. I am so glad that I have had all of the experiences that I have had throughout my life, because it has shaped me into the person that I am today.

I have been studying the Bible, and it says that it is important to give to the poor. I will be honest here. I do give to others, but not to the extent that I could. I honestly feel like I gave more, when I had less. This is something that I am resolved to change this year. This is one of my New Year’s resolutions. I want to make sure that I am giving more to others.

Budget Saving Mom $10 Challenge/Eat Out of Your Pantry Challenge:

Here is the challenge. I am going to spend at least $10 in January and February, for a total of $20 on items to donate to others.  I know that when you give, the Bible says to do so in secret. That is part of the reason I am only going to list what I could get for $10. I don’t want this to be a bragging session, but rather a way to encourage others.

Why $10:

$10 seems like a doable amount for most people. If you don’t have $10 a month, and want to reduce it to $2-3 dollars a month, that is fine as well. In the Bible it talks about a widow woman who gave just a couple of coins, and yet she gave more than anyone else because she gave all that she had. I know that some of you don’t have jobs right now, and even $2 might be a sacrifice, but it can also be a huge blessing.  If you have more than $10 a month to bless others with, go for it. I might spend more than $10 a month on others as well. However, I only plan on posting about what I can give with $10.  I hope that this will encourage lots of people to be generous towards others.

Can $10 Make That Much Of A Difference?:

Definitely. Think about all of the freebies that we are able to get each week. If we get an item for free, we can still count it towards our $10.

I Feel Bad Only Giving Things that I Got On Sale Excuse:

I hear this excuse all the time. Here is my answer, I don’t. My hubby and I have a set amount that we can give to others. I would much rather be a wise steward of the money God has blessed me with, and be able to spend a fraction of the price, yet donate items that are worth much more than what I paid. Also, I have been on both sides of the coin. I have been poor at one point in my life, and was extremely thankful for anything that I received.

How It Works:

1.  Set aside $10 (or the amount of your choosing) in January and February.

2.  Buy as much as you can with your $10 to bless others. It doesn’t matter who you give it to. You could give to your church, someone you know who has lost a job, a children’s home, or a local mission. The possibilities are endless.

3.  I would love to see pictures or lists of what you were able to get for $10. Not so that we can brag about our couponing skills, but to encourage others to do this as well.

A couple of you have already accepted my challenge, and I would love for all of you to. I know that 100% participation is not a realistic goal, but I would love for you to at least consider it! If you are planning to participate, I would love to know. You can leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail. I will post reminders throughout the next 2 months.  Thanks so much for reading about this!! I am so super excited to think about how much we could all give to others!!!

***As a side note, can any of you creative people think of a catchy name for this challenge?  I am out of ideas, but would love for it to have some sort of a neat name. If you think of one, same thing shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment.

Verses About Giving: (because God can give you the reasons to give to others a lot better than I could ever hope to.)

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Psalm 37:25-26

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. Psalm 41:1-2

THANKS SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING!!!